


Malfunctions

by Captain_Susanne



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-09
Updated: 2012-09-09
Packaged: 2017-11-13 21:20:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,064
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/507827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captain_Susanne/pseuds/Captain_Susanne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thanks to some malfunctions aboard Voyager Kathryn Janeway isn´t amused. Does Voyager test its captain or is there another explanation for all the malfunctions?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Malfunctions

**Author's Note:**

> Star Trek Voyager and all its characters belong to Paramount. No infringement is intended.

“Oh no. Not again.“ groaned Paris and shook his head.

“Mr. Paris, what happened?” Kathryn Janeway looked up from her computer and faced her helmsman. “Don´t tell me we have gone out of warp again.“

„I´m sorry Captain, but exactly that happened. I don´t know why. We were flying at with warp six and all of a sudden we have gone to impulse.”

Janeway glanced at her first officer, rolled her eyes and contacted engineering. “Janeway to Torres. B´Elanna, is something wrong again with the warp core? We have problems with propulsion.”

“No Captain. The warp core is working within normal parameters. Shall I still run a full system check?”

“Do it, Lieutenant. Janeway out.” Kathryn stood up and moved to the ops. “Harry, check the telemetry of the last twenty minutes. Maybe we have flown through some gravimetric contortions influencing our propulsion.”

Ensign Kim´s fingers slid over the console. A short beep sounded. He stopped for a second and started the sensor check again. Once more something beeped. Harry seemed to get nervous. He took a breath and tried it again but for the third time the annoying sound rang out. 

Crossing her arms Janeway faced the ensign with an annoyed expression. “Mr. Kim, will you be able to get it?”

Droplets of sweat were welling up on Harry´s forehead and he started to fidget nervously. “Captain, I´m sorry. I can´t get precise data.“

Janeway left Kim without a word and headed to Tuvok´s station. “Mr. Tuvok, please also give it a try and check the sensors.” Tuvok activated some sensor pads and once again the well known beep sounded. Raising both eyebrows he looked wordlessly at his captain.

Janeway raised her arms up in the air and headed back to her command chair. “That can´t be true. It is the third time in the last two days that we´ve had problems with propulsion.” She stopped in front of Chakotay and thought about something for a short moment. “I will go to my ready room and try there a sensor check by myself. In the meantime run a full diagnostic of the ship computer. Commander, you have the bridge.”

 

***

 

The ship wide diagnostic of the computer system had been without any results. Although all systems seemed to work within normal range, the malfunctions aboard Voyager increased from day to day. The reason, however, remained obscure.

What had at first only affected Voyager´s propulsion and sensors soon seemed to spread all over the ship: the holodecks malfunctioned, and several doors didn´t open automatically and had to be activated by hand. The most annoying thing of all had been the uncontrolled actions of the computer´s voice. Either it didn´t react to an order or it suddenly developed its own life. Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay were the ones hit most by the latter, as they were often torn from sleep in the middle of the night by loud music or a red alert.

Janeway´s mood worsened in the following days decidedly. Does Voyager dislike her? Sitting in the mess hall musing Kathryn picked at her food.

“Is it not to your taste, Captain?” Neelix asked, standing behind the counter. “If the Bajoran Veklava is too spicy for you, I could offer you a cold vegetable soup. I think it is called Gazpacho on Earth.”

Janeway looked over her shoulder to face the Talaxian. “Oh no Neelix. The Veklava is delicious. I was lost in thought. I have…“

_„Kes to Captain Janeway.“_

Kathryn put her fork aside and activated her combadge. “Janeway here. What is it Kes?”

_“Captain, I can´t activate the Doctor.”_

“What do you mean, you can´t activate him?” Janeway furrowed her brow.

_“When I arrived in sickbay some minutes ago the Doctor wasn´t active. Every time I order the computer to activate him it says ‘Unable to comply’.”_

Kathryn stroked with her right hand over the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath. “I´m on my way, Kes. Janeway out.”

 

***

 

Kathryn left the mess hall and headed to deck five. On her way to the turbolift she met Chakotay who was hurrying to the bridge.

“Captain.” Chakotay greeted her, nodding his head. “Will you accompany me to the bridge?”

“I have to go to sickbay. Kes has some troubles activating the Doctor.” she said as they entered the lift.

“Another malfunction?” Chakotay put his hands on hips and looked at Kathryn with a worried expression.

“I can´t bear the word _malfunction_ any longer.” she snapped at him. The harsh words scared herself. “I´m sorry, Commander. But the last days weren´t good for my nerves and moreover I didn´t sleep last night.”

Chakotay eyed Kathryn with an empathic look. “Apology accepted. But let me guess? You were awakened this night again, weren´t you?”

Kathryn faced him with an astonished look and moved closer to him. “You too?”

Chakotay nodded to her. “Around two o´clock in the morning I was woken by this song… _Hungry Eyes_. And I couldn´t fall asleep again. There were too many thoughts dancing in my head.”

Janeway glanced at him for a few seconds with narrowed eyes. “And what kind of thoughts had those been…”

A sudden stop of the turbolift interrupted Kathryn´s question. “What the hell is going on? Computer, continue the run.” Nothing happened. Kathryn repeated her order three times but the computer didn´t reply. “I´m tired of this. Oh, why do I get the feeling you're testing me, Voyager?” Pacing in the tightness of the turbolift Kathryn cursed the last days on board. Chakotay leaned onto the back wall of the lift, watching amused, how his captain talked with her ship like it was a real person.

Noticing the mischievous smile of her first officer she stopped. “What is so funny?”

“Nothing. But I´ve never seen a captain who talks so intently to her ship.” Chakotay couldn´t stifle a laugh.

Kathryn moved closer to him. Her face turned red and she flashed Chakotay with her well known death glare. “It seems to me you find the malfunctions on board very funny, Commander.”

Chakotay cancelled his grin and now faced his captain seriously. “Come on, Kathryn. Do you really think that I´m satisfied with all these troubles aboard Voyager? But all your moaning and nagging won´t change the point that something on board is wrong. And we have to get to the bottom of things. Take a deep breath and calm down.”

“Calm down? I think you…”

_“Tuvok to Janeway.”_

Kathryn took a step back and activated her combadge while Chakotay rolled his eyes at Tuvok´s call. “Janeway here. What´s wrong Lieutenant?”

_“Captain, Mr. Neelix informed me that all replicators in the mess hall have ceased to work. As a result I´ve checked all replicators aboard. Unfortunately I have to inform you that all of them malfunction.”_

Janeway uttered a deep sigh. “I understood Mr. Tuvok. Send a repair crew into the mess hall and check out the reason for the malfunction.”

_“Understood. Tuvok out.”_

Crossing his arms Chakotay bent forward to her. “Well…it seems that the ship is really trying to test you, Captain. Malfunction of the replicators, huh? I think that somebody has to abandon her coffee today.” His grinning at her caused a new fit of rage in Kathryn.

“Could you please hold back your nitpicky comments?” Kathryn crossed her arms and moved furiously from one side of the turbolift to the other. “It all can´t be true. First the problems with propulsion, then the troubles in our computer systems, the malfunction of the holodecks, the problems activating the Doctor and finally the failure of the replicators.” Kathryn raised her arms to the top. “For God´s sake! Chakotay, I´m sick of it. Since we´re stranded in the Delta Quadrant there is no day without any complications. A fight with a species here, a malfunction there. I´m longing for a normal work day aboard a starship. Is that too much to ask for?” Kathryn´s voice was hoarse.

Looking annoyed, Chakotay rolled his eyes and took a deep breath. “Knock it off already!” He looked into her eyes. „Don´t be angry with me, but all your moaning about our situation is starting to annoy me and nagging won´t change anything.”

While he spoke Kathryn´s anger mirrored in her eyes. Angrily she flashed at her first officer. “Commander, I don´t need to remind you who is in front of you.” she snarled at his face.

“I know that exactly, Captain.” He said with a calm tone in his voice to appease her. “And that is why I say to you: Pull yourself together and let us resolve the problem in unison.”

“I should pull myself together? How? All replicators are malfunctioning. Where do I get my coffee? Nothing else helps me to calm my nerves.“

Venting a deep sigh Chakotay shook his head and fixed her with his gaze. “Spirits! You drive me crazy. You need something to calm down? Ok, here it comes.“ He moved forward closing the last centimeters which separated him from Kathryn and pushed her against the wall. Kathryn uttered a sound of indignation. Only a few seconds later he kissed her, stopping her attempt to protest.

She tried to push him away. However all her attempts of defense were short lived. All of a sudden her legs sagged causing her hands to tighten the grip on Chakotay´s chest and pulling him even closer to her. A comfortable tingle expanded in her belly. A crowd of butterflies seemed to be fluttering there. Within seconds the tingle spread out over her whole body. When his lips left hers Kathryn uttered a soft sigh. She opened her eyes very slowly. He held her still in his arms, his face only a few centimeters from hers away.

Kathryn took a deep breath to calm herself and then fixed on the face of her first officer. “I spoke of calming, Commander.” she whispered and looked him straight in the eye.

Chakotay had expected an angry speech or a slap in his face but Kathryn´s calm almost shy reaction to his kiss surprised him. A smile played around the corners of his mouth. Kathryn melted away looking at his wonderful smile. Did he know what magic his dimples had on her?

“So, I think you´re right.” She pulled Chakotay closer to her and kissed him back. He opened his lips and gave her tongue entrance to his. He tasted like herbal tea and honey. Kathryn´s tongue played with his.

Chakotay´s hands run over her body. His hand stroked tenderly her right breast and his thumb played with her nipple which hardened immediately. Kathryn moaned with pleasure. Just at that moment the turbolift started again. Surprised, Kathryn and Chakotay stopped their kissing and looked around.

“It seems that our crew has begun to fix the malfunctions.” Chakotay grinned amusedly at Kathryn.

“It looks so. Computer, halt turbolift.”

“Kathryn, what are you…?” Interrupting him with another kiss Kathryn snuggled still more into him.

“I think our crew will manage it without us being there. We should…” This time is was Chakotay who silenced her with a passionate kiss.

After the kiss she opened her eyes beaming at her first officer and finished her former sentence. “…continue where we were interrupted some seconds ago.”

While she spoke, Chakotay stroked her cheek caressingly and kissed her very gently on her lips. “I love you, Kathryn Janeway.”

Her eyes filled with tears hearing his lovely words. Closing her eyes Kathryn laid her forehead on his. “I love you too.” It was only a whisper.

Chakotay took her face in his hands. “Say it once more, Kathryn. But this time a little bit louder so I can hear you.”

“I love you.”

All of a sudden a well known voice sounded over the comm.link. “Q to the whole crew. I´m sorry for teasing you in the last days with all those malfunctions aboard but they were part of my plan. And it worked. They have done it. Mission fulfilled.” His broad laughter was heard all over the ship.


End file.
